The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1887-06-26
NEGRO KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
THE ORDER SPREADING AM0NG TIM
COLORED MEN OF THE SOUTH.


At Least 10000 Men Enrolled In Asseua.
bIics Composed EutireIy OF binchs-onlr
Ono Colorcd Assembly In New fork-The
ColoroA KniEhts Almost All George hhen.
Within tho last two years the knights OK
Labor have spread among the colored popula"
tion of the South. until now 1t is estimated
that half the colored population OF the cities
belong to the order. In the country 1t is grow
ing among the colored population, but not 80
fast as in the cities In New York the colored
populaton Ia small In comparison to the num-
beers in the South. and In few cmrloymentsM
the majority Of the workmen colored, but one
colored assembly has been In existence ioi
three ycnrs, and there are some 5000 colored
Knights OF Labor scattered around In the or
ganlzations OF their respective trades.
The laws OF the knights OF Labor make no
distinction between white and colored work.
men and the leaders OF the knights DO NOT
encourage tho formation of assemblies on the
color line. In tho South 1t has been unavoida-
ble ma many occupations are SO largely In the
hands of colored mon that in forming assem-
blies on the .trade basis some are composed
entirely of colored men. In Virginia these
colorcd assemblies arc numerous and strong.
some local assemblies having membership OF
thousands Richmond. Norfolk, Petersburg
and Portsmouth arc strong knights OF LaboR
cities New Orleans Is another city where the
knights of Labor arc well organized. Inc
organization is extending to Alabama Missis-
sipri, and Georgia. Tho cities Of Tennessee
and Kentucky were organized among tho first. |
No Statistics have been compiled yet on the
color line by any OF the local Knights OF Labor,
bat Mr.. Frank Terrell, who knows as much
about the colored men In the Knights OF Labor
as any one. made an estimat. that there are
over 400 local assemblies composed entireiy
1f al, ,,.al ma unl
mem bership Of an, assembly, the number of
men in the entirely black assemblies would
many more colored men in trsdes, assemblies
In the Northern States and In Southern assem-
Il would not BIO far from right II the whole
number of coored men in the knights were
at 10000 or or pS to
crease Of white. members;
The 2 Il ana
VI" are lifted for tie So higher ors g t
MES the VOWS and tho obedience required u
so bt TIN SasS f sy
cation. and they like to DO known as Knights,
while Ms mem1e nto 81 am iii new
different in this respect between the T SSolord
OF the soHh q Nart Of the North %orh w h
white men in. their trades Join the tTads
unions and ,S they ee eoa hs eSab
Ii the . South are less often. found in skillfd
trades, and very seldom IN trades upid1n:
OF Knights OF Labor in the South and only ote
Of $50 or 200 members in New York shows tie
In some some of the Southern States the organic.
ton Of the colored men as knights q Labff
has been opposed by the whites and the f.
Knig hts; Il Is not where he Working pop,Ja
coored Rights Of Labor are found. but where
the white and colored men work side by fde.
faaz ed.hef TSeTs seems 1 supso
The nt Maan ID South or Gs9sgns s ssd
in adaptability and capacity for organization,
One trouble has been found with kolored
Knights and thai is that they are MT SanIR
t Il ise The
in paying dues. The honor Of joining ahd being
%a aGfs i d il Rs sai to Ths II ]
men are not SO reluctant in paying: TIE South.
s5e Ks Mans to #
Of their knlGhtly title they suddenly become
s' The Ross%e NOR Association. as the only col.
n5%bss messs X Ess ssa M A Ra
on Seventh avenue. The members, ate chiefly
waters Pnd ,.smSsa 1ani E fsro B Ssh
sna Ia TN ssseS T % Sn
ass hs sns ssen IN de
known in colored circles, Other pfomineni
son, q salesman; Thomas Taylor, 4 waiter,
and Ed Thomas. yaitsr and R musician iP
Dor are George mon. They are stroh gest In
the seyenth. Eleventh. Thirteenth. hnd FIJI
teenth Assembly districts.
house near Union square. is as prominent az
any .colored Knight Of Labor. He Is Q pembei
neers, and has been their delegate to the Cen.
trail Labor Union and to the National Gonven.
Richmond forty years ago. is s feet 9 inche1
tall, well built, and has curly black nous.
Eccsntric Engine rs. still more are members 81
the Eccentric Hremsn; and quite number